


Harry Potter And The Catgirls Of Gryffindor

by Valentine20xx



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Catgirl Hermione, Catgirl Luna, Dolores Umbridge Being an Asshole, Hermione Adopts Luna
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-07-31 07:24:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20111350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valentine20xx/pseuds/Valentine20xx
Summary: During the search for the person who opened the Chamber Of Secrets, Harry, Ron and Hermione made a gamble, and, in canon, Hermione almost lost her humanity. In this story, however, the magic bullet of magical medicine doesn't cure her, and instead changes her in ways that no-one can predict or control, causing a snowball effect that no-one could expect...





	1. All I Want For Christmas...

**Author's Note:**

> I consider Jo Rowling to be a revisionist writer. However, this is coupled with a vehement hatred of her readers and their ideas for many unexplained aspects of her universe, to the point that she changes things on a whim, and almost always to the detriment of the fandom, like creating, somewhat randomly Fleamont Potter as Harry's grandfather.  
This was despite, within her own narrative, having a scene where Harry notices Charlus Potter, and Sirius assuring him that he was descended from that Potter. She then turned around, after the fandom embraced this with Harry being Lord Potter-Black, and created Fleamont. Suddenly, Harry's 'trust vault' was just the money left over from Fleamont stupidly selling his stake in, I kid you not, hair care products, and he was never a Lord of anything.  
What this did was both put the Black legacy firmly in the laps of Narcissa and Bellatrix, since Sirius wasn't even Lord Black in the first place, Jo Rowling having declared he was stripped of the title, and stripped Harry himself of any peerage, with the magical peers list reading like a who's-who of dark wizarding families instead, and Godric's Hollow became, more than likely, the Potter family home.
> 
> However, that is not what this story is concerning, even if it has become one of two polarizing topics in recent Harry Potter discussions. This is about her almost Victorian rhetoric that 'Every magical community owes it's magical heritage to the United Kingdom!'. As an example, the Far East, who has a heady history of mystics and legendary figures who can perform miraculous feats, and invented franchises like the Mahou Shoujo franchise…  
Apparently, according to Jo, first discovered magic because of cultural exchanges with the British Ministry, and the spiritual side of Japan isn't magical in the slightest, and the only known magical school in America was founded by a British immigrant. Let's ignore the natives with their shamans, they're just fake magic. That is important, but not the major subject.
> 
> This story covers something else, namely two incidents with Hermione in the second book, the first being her petrification, which was part of the narrative of the book in general, and the other being an earlier incident where she was turned into a catgirl in a potions accident, which effectively 'put her on a bus', and meant the investigation went at a glacially slow pace, with her being cured magically, pun intended, of her petrification only after the entire affair was barely solved outside of a series of deus-ex-machina.  
This story takes the catgirl transfiguration accident and worsens it, making it inherently incurable, in exchange for the immediate problem being solved much easier, but, as a trade-off, also allowing some of the antagonists of later volumes to play their hand much earlier, which means some of the things that happen in later books will happen earlier, and much more effectively, but other problems, that cannot be solved as easily, will take their place.

Around the world, Christmas is one of those days that is seen as a time for celebration and for family, for opening presents with loved ones, and having nice things both as gifts and things to eat. However, after a particular incident, one girl, Luna Lovegood, stopped having those kinds of Christmas Days, with her Christmas being a time of disaster and crisis.

It had all started when her mother was in a terrible accident, with Ginny and her family apologizing briefly as they had already made other plans. As a result, Luna stood with her father, practically alone, in a graveyard, her presents opened much later, the Christmas meal skipped since their plans even for that were ruined.

Over the following years, Her father failed to be home for Christmas more often than not, and the Weasleys drifted ever further away from supporting the Lovegood family. All of that made her feel that there was no happy time for Luna Lovegood, no magical end-of-year celebration, since she’d spent too many years sitting on her own, celebrating nothing.

She liked to pretend he invited her on his expeditions, that the old Xeno Lovegood still existed, but even she knew that was one of the white lies she had become comfortable telling. He'd not left England in several years, and worked late at the Quibbler in reality, his reputation on a backslide that wouldn’t ever be recovered from.

When she arrived at Hogwarts, though, she was hoping to gain new friends and companionship, but that wasn't to be, being the daughter of some eccentric explorer who hadn't found anything concrete in years, and several publications had called senile, his self-published magazine only making him worse in their eyes.

So, While she was sorted into Ravenclaw, something she’d more than earned, as soon as she was out of sight of the teachers, who offered warm words and empty platitudes, she was bullied, called names and stigmatized by every level of her House, and even members of other houses who accepted the not-so-discreet alienation as part and parcel of school life.

As far as the House was concerned, she didn't belong there, she had never belonged there and they made sure that she knew it.

Her last hope was the School Rules, normally a sanctuary of safety and protection for the common student, and she'd reported it to Professor Flitwick, even making sure to be concise with her report about what was happening to her in Ravenclaw, getting a few house points for how well written her complaint was.

She might as well have just basically submitted a few lines saying that she was being bullied and for him to look into it. As soon as the report was distributed to those who should have been concerned, she discovered that one of the Prefects, Flitwick’s trusted lieutenants, normally sticklers for the rules, already knew it all.

The subverted Prefect laughed off her report, claiming something even worse. That she'd lied about the whole thing, and was actually the instigator. That it was part of a campaign of abuse by her towards girls whose families had found fault in something that her father had printed, and that she was using them as proxies for an abuse campaign.

There was far too much bad press about the Quibbler for Flitwick to discount what the Prefect had told him, and he told the prefect that he appreciated their investigation, not knowing they’d not even looked into it, being prepared in advance, and that he'd investigate what was going on at the following mealtime.

What he never found out was that an exchange was done, in that Luna's things were placed in a hidden alcove in her sleeping area just before dinner that day, and several items were handed to the Prefect, who left them in logical, but easily found locations within her belongings, with backdated reports about them disappearing that had been handled 'internally'...

As a result, what Flitwick found was exactly what the conspirators had claimed, that Luna’s report was falsified, and promised that Luna would, while not expelled, be harshly and severely punished.

So, when she went to Flitwick's office after dinner, she found the girls she'd rightfully accused looking smug, with only her trunk being in his office, and she watched as the Prefect there looked through it, and, almost pantomime-level acting had them telling Flitwick that various items were theirs.

It was almost painful for her to watch as they pretended to look hard through the trunk, pulling out each item they'd placed with great care and maximum impact within the trunk, along with a sheaf of papers that backed up the abuse campaign story. It was only much later that Flitwick found in the Prefect’s possession the original drafts.

_ "I already checked their trunks, and found none of the items you mentioned in them. A quick cursory check showed that the items you claimed were lost had been hidden in a poorly hidden alcove, to make sure that, if I'd checked your trunk first, I would find your story seemed to ring true..." He told her, in a tone that reminded her of the goblins of Gringotts, "Now, I do not know what problem you have with these students, but if you continue to set them up in such a shallow and callous way, I will be forced to go through with measures which I won't like… You wouldn't want to be expelled before you've even finished a year, would you?" _

Luna knew what would be happening in the near future. They would be ensuring that she would not be returning the following year. When she checked over her trunk later, a piece of parchment had been stuck to the inside of the lid, signed by the Prefect that had attended her hearing, unaware that said note would have exonerated her immediately, due to what was written on the other side.

It explained that 'Some parchment was spilt on after the writing supplies were accidentally damaged while repacking the trunk. Replacements for the latter was supplied, but we do wish to state that work may have been lost due to the extent of the spillage...'

She found that practically all her homework for the following lessons was gone, seemingly erased, telling her that it was her punishment for ratting out the girls, as she was forced to desperately rewrite those assignments, and failed miserably. She had to note that her Charms homework hadn't even been touched, despite having it the following morning.

She lost even more points due to failing to provide her homework, with Flitwick's expression becoming more and more soured towards her, as he told her that he would be investigating if she’d not just been engaging in abuse, but using her power over them to increase her own grade.

The breakthrough that stopped that investigation, and blew the entire operation wide open, had been when she’d requested a stay on it, in exchange for her doing a simple, but effective, anti-burglary charm, which she ‘tested’ on her trunk, with a nice long sheet of parchment filed with him detailing how she couldn’t subvert it herself.

She then promised to put the charm on the trunks of the girls she’d ‘abused’, and pay a small fine and publish a retraction of the particular articles when they produced proof of the campaign. She even was ready to request Gringotts send her a verified copy from her father’s personal vault to verify them.

She hadn't expected to find Flitwick discovering a just 'stolen' item, oddly without a Prefect or report to him as a legal backup, that had ended up under the bed. Even more strangely, the Ravenclaw house elves were furious, reporting to him that it had not been there ten minutes before for lunch in the Great Hall.

Even worse, he'd seen Luna at lunch, but not the student who had met with him, meaning she was not where she should have been. As he was about to report it, in one last spiteful act, her trunk outright vanished, Flitwick musing that charms on opening a trunk don't work when you steal the entire thing, before he called them into his office...

_ "Where is it?" He'd snapped. _

_ "Where's what?" They'd asked. _

_ “Before I answer that, Recently, I had been discussing with McGonagall about how Ms. Lovegood here was a dreadful student, her homework incomplete and seemingly done at the last minute, and engaging in spiteful bullying. She'd agreed with me that Luna had squandered her last chance and she would have been expelled by now, but..." Flitwick stated. _

" _ So, What's that got to do with us?" The students who had fingered her before asked. _

_ “Luna came to me with an offer, which would have given her a minor reprieve, where she put a charm on her trunk as a demonstration, showing it to me, and explaining it would alert me if someone was to open her trunk…” He began. _

_ "Why would the thief alarm her own trunk?" One of them asked, for him to notice she was wringing her hands. She knew that she'd figured out they'd continue trapping her with the same offence, until it had the ‘desired’ result. _

_ “She was planning on giving it all of you, along with a very nice payoff in galleons for the abuse, after you verified with myself about what articles were part of the campaign,” Flitwick continued, “The Lovegood name would be soured, yes, but she’d have made her peace…” _

_ “We will have the articles to you by this evening,” The prefect began. _

_ “Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong,” Flitwick stated, “I was about to pitch this to McGonagall to save Luna from expulsion, which would leave her wand snapped and her family name in tatters, when I come to find someone attempted to put something  _ ** _into_ ** _ Luna’s trunk…” _

_ He paused for emphasis. “More than likely, not knowing about Luna’s offer. They were likely about to claim that Luna had stole from her again, which _ ** _ would_ ** _ indeed have got her expelled, when she was startled by the burglary charm and dropped it under her bed. Shortly after that, Luna’s trunk disappeared," _

_ "You idiot..." Luna had heard their tame Prefect hiss, "We had her dead to rights, She was about to give us everything we wanted and more..." _

_ "She'll never find it in time." the student who set off the alarm proudly stated, to get suspended on the spot. _

They'd managed to find it, among a set of old school trunks the house elves were breaking up as part of a cleaning job. They'd managed to identify it only in time for the contents to be recovered, thankful that they were breaking them up instead of destroying them, recovering several items she couldn't bear to lose.

Later, she heard Flitwick had also deducted some extra points from the Prefect for 'misuse of school policy', when Luna found her points loss for the lost homework disappeared. Apparently, Luna's 'ruined' homework was found hidden in a box in their trunk, along with half-finished copies of the proof she’d ‘abused’ them, with the most damning one being stuck with spellotape to the lid of the trunk.

Flitwick suspected they planned to put the box in her trunk when it was broken up, hiding any proof she'd ever done those assignments, and the abuse was staged. With the assignments now properly submitted to the teachers, her points loss was reversed, and she no longer was at risk of expulsion.

Flitwick had guessed they'd put the message on her trunk, then hid the homework because they'd been very careful when searching in reality, and the writing materials hadn't even been jostled, so they couldn't enact the real policy without proving to Flitwick that one of her ink bottles had been damaged, and showing him the fact.

It also explained why the Charms homework hadn't been touched. He would have verified it on the spot, maybe even done an Accio on her homework just to check if a sodden piece of parchment came to him. When it didn’t, their entire plan would have failed on the spot.

While Flitwick was now more on her side than before, and had even dismissed the Prefect who had colluded with them, and expelled those he could punish, the Punishments she got from her housemates got worse and worse, and more esoteric with how they did them, and harder and harder for even Flitwick to prove anything.

She was right now 'celebrating' Christmas in the infirmary, after a largely unknown variant of the leg-locker curse had sent her slipping off the edge of one of the moving staircases, luckily not falling far enough that even magic couldn't save her. The student who caused it was likely incredibly annoyed about that little known feature of the moving stairs.

She mentally was making up the existence of a creature that hid at the edge of unprotected ledges, waiting to pull unsuspecting people to their quick demise. But even she knew that it was a lie, designed to cover up that even reporting the bullying only meant the bullies punished her for being honest.

But what she didn't know was that her salvation was coming, and it had nothing to do with her near-fatal accident, which had actually got the instigators nearly expelled, but the fact that Harry and Ron came in with a crying Hermione, and began talking to Madame Pomfrey, claiming a broken wand had cursed her.

Luna promptly bore witness to one of the poorest excuses possible, which, surprisingly, was also the most believable one due to, of all things, a car accident on school grounds. She didn't want, or need to, know WHY there had been a car on school grounds, with several branches of the Whomping Willow bent out of shape.

All she knew was that she heard something collide with the Whomping Willow, and the fact it was Harry and Ron crashing a car had been part of the Hogwarts rumour mill for the following week. Later it was explained to be Ron's father's car, and he'd almost lost his job due to the fact it had been very poorly enchanted.

"I was doing some transfiguration revision..." Ron had said, for Harry to finish with, "Something went wrong, and..."

Luna wasn't stupid as she looked at the crying cat-girl. She knew it was polyjuice, not a spell. She'd even decided she would send a message to one of her father's closest and most reliable contact once she was out of here, just to make sure. However, she could tell they were lying. How they'd managed to make the potion in question she didn't want to know, since it was heavily regulated.

But it was that fact which was the very reason, more than likely, they WERE lying. Otherwise, Snape would use it as an excuse to send the Gryffindor points into negative levels. He'd probably follow it up by expelling all involved, and then the Ministry would get involved and…

That was part of why she needed to get into contact with them, urgently. She didn't notice her thoughts about her bullying were falling by the wayside already, as her journeyman knowledge of magizoology actually, for once, became  _ useful _ .

"Let me guess? Your wand?" Poppy offered, Ron nodding, before she sighed, "Why you haven't got that thing replaced is beyond me… You could have killed her rather than… THIS."

"With my dad's fines for what I did when I arrived, Mum told me that spellotape would be enough. She can't afford to replace it right now..." Ron sighed, Luna able to tell he wasn't lying there, only for him to use another white lie, "Course, She didn't expect me to be trying to transfigure a block of wood and end up with totally the wrong spell and it hitting Hermione to boot!… She wasn't even in that part of the room!"

"You don't have to say anything more… I'll handle it..." Poppy offered, Luna counting to five, before she heard the sighed 'Hopefully'. She was used to that line. Flitwick had used that exact turn of phrase before, shortly before something else went wrong for her. Except, unlike Flitwick, she knew Madame Pomfrey was literally clutching at straws. She didn't know where to start.

Poppy proved her theory right when, rather than casting the charms needed to check what it had previously cast, she simply vanished it.

"Sampling of spells used by wand was inconclusive, damage was practically terminal..." Poppy then dictated as she wrote her 'findings', and Luna, again, had been proven right, as usual, about the truth about the world. People lied to themselves, to each other, all the time, making everything seem like there were no problems, like what had happened to her.

She already knew what she would be doing that evening. A letter to her father's friend to help Hermione, since she knew what would be happening once the Ministry heard about what had happened. She'd follow it up with a letter to her father telling him she'd be home in a few days.

She'd been lying to herself, personally, about that Hogwarts would get any better for her. She'd begun disguising some of the acts by the girls who had used house unity. and Flitwick's problems with being a full-time teacher as well, as outright fictional creatures. She curled up into a ball, mentally preparing for when she told Flitwick she was dropping out of Hogwarts...

"What's wrong?" She heard, looking up in confusion. That's not how it went. She was the one who'd help Hermione, and…

Now she was seeing Hermione get up from her bed and approach her. What had changed? Why was she suddenly getting noticed in a way that didn't fit how it usually happened? What was going to go wrong now?

Hermione wasn't sure what to make of the frail-looking girl who was sat in the bed next to her, her eyes red with tears. She knew the look, she'd had it before, her parents having to come to school to avoid having her drop out due to bullying. She looked, to see no-one had come in, and Poppy didn't seem to be expecting anyone to do so.

Something was wrong with how Hermione knew it went. There weren't any parents waiting in the wings, with a teacher explaining the problem. She knew that this girl wouldn't be in Hogwarts tomorrow unless she talked her out of it.

"What's wrong?" She asked, the girl uncurling, looking confused, and looking even more confused when Hermione moved to her side.

"Something went wrong with my feet when I was going down the stairs. I think something tripped me up, probably was fiddling with my laces..." The girl offered. Hermione's eyes flicked a few times as she ticked off mentally the tells. She wasn't even convincingly lying. Hermione's choice was made as she motioned to the bed.

"Mind if I sit here?" She asked, waiting for the girl to get up haltingly, before, in a flash of inspiration, she stated, "Now, let me see..."

The girl was light, but not to the level that she'd consider it to be due to abuse, as Hermione pulled her into a backwards hug in her lap. "Yes, this is much better..." Hermione offered, "You look like you need a good cuddle with something warm and comfortable, then, in the morning, an ear willing to listen..."

Luna was about to protest when she began to yawn. Maybe Hermione had a point about how warm and cosy this was. She'd just get a few... minutes…

When Poppy came back later, she didn't even care that Hermione had changed her bed, just pulling up the curtain around Luna's former bed as both girls slept soundly. Somehow, she knew that the worst part of the bullying problem was over. She doubted Luna was ever going to return to Ravenclaw. Hermione, inexplicably, wouldn't allow it...


	2. ...is you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hermione never asked Luna her name, while Hermione's name is fairly common knowledge. Here's the first major change, Hermione deciding to be a 'big sister' to Luna, which will cause changes across the board, as someone actually cares. I will add that Luna isn't aware of how much Flitwick and others have actually done for her, and that will be covered in this chapter, as, finally, the snowball starts rolling...  
Anyone who figured out that Chapter 1 was in two parts due to the title, Yes, I did intentionally use that line. As an aside, The fact that I portray Japan who completely accepts things like furries and similar...  
It's akin to finding a needle in a haystack, locating the person who is using magic for their look when in some parts of places like Akibahara. If it was anime!Japan, you could add Minato, which I often portray in my stories as having a magical girl presence. And Luna exclusively calling Hermione a 'kemono' is completely and utterly deliberate.

Luna almost always woke up freezing cold, her blankets having been misplaced, and her bed being in a particularly cold part of the dormitory, due to one of several things Flitwick couldn't fix, namely a room rearrangement done at the suggestion of certain former Prefects. However, right now, she didn't want to wake up. She was toasty warm and really cozy. She cracked open one eye, to find herself wrapped in the hug of one of the world's most recent kemono, Hermione Granger, who was smiling down at her as much as a cat kemono could.  
"Hello, My name's Herrrmione Grangerrr..." She stated, "I was rrright about last night, You'rrre not crying any more..."  
Luna blinked. She was right. She didn't even have a slight sniffle coming for the first time in weeks. Here she was, warm, comfortable and with an big furry friend who just wouldn't let her cry except when it was really needed to let it all out. It was an odd feeling, and right now, she didn't want it to end. But she knew the truth, and had to broach the subject that was why she'd be sending out letters shortly.  
"My name's Luna Lovegood..." Luna replied, "You're the first good thing that's happened to me during Christmas… But you won't last. If I know the Ministry..."

Hermione was about to reply when her ears twitched, and Luna was quickly and discreetly levitated to the bed opposite, as Hermione muttered a switching spell, one of the few spells she knew that could be cast without burring the letters, just before McGonagall and Flitwick entered, Hermione having heard either their conversation or their footsteps approaching.  
"-ible business. I have had to crack down extra hard on them this time. For the basic stuff, Bullying, few points lost and a report put in their file. But, Attempted murder of a Pureblood line's sole living heir… Oh, at that point, I had to notify the Ministry about it, and they were very unhappy… Fines all round, and that's if Xeno doesn't allow them to press charges," Flitwick was saying, Luna stunned at how much her charm had changed his tune, "If he does, I expect that their ringleader will be in Azkaban by the end of the year. The others? Only suspended and possibly Resorting if they're unrepentant."  
Poppy noticed what Hermione had done, before showing them to what was now Hermione's bed, for them to stand there looking official, the comments they'd been chatting about vanished. Luna didn't even blink at what was going on. She could tell this was one of Those Times, where logic and sensibility was thrown out of the window, and bigotry and overly large pocket books came into the equation. Luna mentally wondered whose it was this week. And what a pocket book was, and why the size of it mattered. All she knew about was huge bags of galleons...  
"Ms. Granger, I am here not as your Head of House, which… which I ceased to be as of your admittance in the Hospital Wing, but the Deputy Headmistress," McGonagall sighed, polishing her glasses as she paused, taking an offered glass of water and having a sip. Hermione didn't even seem surprised either. Maybe she knew more than she seemed as well. She was far too intelligent to have been intended for Gryffindor.  
"I'm sorry to say that I have had to inform the Ministry about your affliction, and they are not in a charitable mood…" She continued, "What doesn't help is the fact transfigurations like your own are rarely fully cured, and you being in the infirmary at all is a courtesy rather than any hope of curing you… Among other things, you are no longer a stu-"  
"I know the rrregulations, I rrread the book in firrrst yearrr, looking up Flamel's Stone, Among otherrrs..." Hermione asked, pausing and holding up a paw, soundlessly counting to five, purely to create a pause, "Does the school still operrrate a Dicta-Quill for patient visits?"  
The reaction was immediate. McGonagall's eye shot towards the location where the Dicta-Quill in question was. Hermione definitely knew more than she was letting on, or was reading far FAR too much, when she was apparently looking up Flamel's stone. Why she was looking that up was unknown to Luna. All she knew was that her great uncle had misplaced it for a few months last year. He made a new one and just continued unabated. He was always losing them. Partially since the goblins hated them.  
"Poppy, Erase Hermione's last question and this comment, then continue… Both of you." McGonagall stated. She had a feeling Hermione was onto something that would help both of them come out of this with a much better result than the loss of her greatest student. The reason for the pause was obvious. So the Dicta-Quill would cleanly break her comment in two. They didn't do timestamps.  
"Professorrr Flitwick, If this was to… strrrrictly speaking, happen to anotherrrr student 'by accident'..." Hermione continued, looking towards Luna's bed. He followed her look, and Luna hid herself, but he acknowledged her anyway. Luna mentally frowned. This wasn't the question she'd expected.  
"Umm, Well, Similar to your accident, they would likely be effectively excluded from education at Hogwarts, due to regulations concerning magical beasts, and would enter the regulation process of such," Flitwick stated, "...A harsh existence, unless someone was to be there for them, they'd be comfortable enough, Yes..."  
"Thank you, Professorrr Flitwick..." Hermione stated, counting again, before breathing in and out, and asking, as clearly as she could, "Now, Hand that conversation to Luna. I'm sure that she knows someone who would find that conversation fascinating..."  
Luna was out of the infirmary within moments. She didn't know why Hermione had asked if ANOTHER student had also had the same 'accident', since Luna had turned down the offer before, all she knew was that she had to get that scrap of parchment onto a post owl urgently. Hermione knew, she didn't know how, but she knew Luna knew people who had knowledge of this particular transfiguration.  
She barely even noticed that she'd completely forgotten why else she might need a post owl, and the letter to her father remained stubbornly unwritten. She was too busy writing a letter which would be passing through several mail carrying methods, the stamp, of which she only had a handful of, she placed on it requiring that it was there within the next 24 hours, then they'd figure out the postal costs after that. If it was a minute later, they paid themselves.  
It wasn't called the Poppins Express Mail Stamp for nothing. The owl only delivered it to the delivery office. The rest… No-one asked how she delivered a letter. She just did. Promptly and efficiently. All Luna knew was that one of her aunts had gone into the postal service after her previous career faded into obscurity.

When Harry and Ron came with Hermione's homework, they noticed Hermione sat with Luna, the younger girl half asleep with her head in her lap. They were not to know it had become one of Luna's favourite spots to relax, although both of them found it frankly hilarious between themselves that the cat was the one stroking the human and making her nice and relaxed. Admittedly, Hermione found it just as relaxing to dote on Luna, but she'd not admit that either.  
"Hey, What are you doing with Loo..." Ron began, Hermione baring her claws on her free hand as she hissed, one of the few times that Hermione had let her increasingly feline mentality take over.  
"I am awarrre of that cruel nickname..." Hermione growled, "It's for rrreasons like that which is why she is rrrelaxed in my lap, and has been even though she was told she could leave two days ago… She needs hugs and tenderrr loving carrre, not nasty names and crrruel pranks..."  
She then paused, handing them a piece of parchment, on which was a request for the rest of the polyjuice potion, then make themselves scarce for the rest of the week. She couldn't lose any more points to Gryffindor, or to have her wand snapped. The worst case scenario was actually what they were trying to _avoid_.

The following morning, Dolores Umbridge arrived in the castle, heading straight to the infirmary, ready to get that half-breed muggleborn where she deserved to be. What she came into was nothing like what she'd expected. A short quick-witted Japanese woman was there before her, doing tests on a potions cauldron, while several members of the faculty stood watching her. Just great. A foreign witch as well as the damn beast.  
She had a positive laundry list of regulations, all back-dated where needed, to make sure that woman wouldn't step on her toes. By the time that she left that day, the mudblood beast would be collared at the foot of a nice reputable pureblood. Dolores Umbridge was never crossed. She crossed others _first_, and was never unsuccessful...  
"I would give her… former house 100 points for the quality of her brewing, after subtracting deductions for the fact she probably meant to make polyjuice. They should fix the error in that book. Overly Potent Potions more like!" The woman was telling McGonagall, "I will be repaying her for the cost of the potion, minus a 25% fee which will be paid to Snape-sensei, for what is likely some very good potions teaching for her to pull off an exemplary and normally difficult potion."  
"Err, Umm… Why thank you, my dear..." Snape stammered, surprised by what she'd offered, his plans to interrogate her for the fact she had been making polyjuice, and with a restricted book at that, forgotten, "I am flattered by your opinion..."  
"Hem Hem..." Umbridge coughed, before unrolling a short piece of parchment, and beginning, "Ms. Granger, You are required by Subsection 6 of the Handling Of Magical Beasts regulations to surrender your wand, robes and any other items on your person, and submit to being collared..."  
"Why?" The Japanese woman snapped, already ready to countermand her, "Does she have no right to dignity? You would shame her in front of her peers, parading her like an animal, denied human rights?"  
"She is a magical beast, a low classification one, but still a beast," Umbridge scoffed. She'd found it hard to get more than an interim classification, due to ICW pressure, so she was a 'low level, non-dangerous, socially functional' magical beast.  
"So, Lady Toad, You classify something I do as a sideline every day, using this same potion," The woman stated, handing a document to Umbridge that was clearly a translated replica, Hermione noticing that an identical, but in Japanese, document was in her pocket, "...Makes this girl a beast?! I was about to consider offering her friend here my catalogue when you stormed in!"  
She paused, her tone turning much more friendly, "Moonchild, I have some new hair colours. I'd suggest looking into the whites and creams, they'll go well with your hair..."  
"They are not Japanese citizens and this document is worthless in this area!" Umbridge snapped, "These regulations nullify that particular clause within the remit of the British Ministry,"  
"Let me guess, Part of a set of recent laws?" The woman stated, Umbridge nodding, "Let me see those laws..."  
Umbridge handed the paperwork over, for her face to fall as the woman simply destroyed them in a ball of flame after quickly reading them.  
"Ah yes, those laws. I believe you got them passed this morning in Closed Wizengamot Session, home of the corrupt and the illegal. If it was honest, it would not be closed," She stated, "It all very suspicious that you would block all attempts to do something like this legally and without any controls. Your laws even remove allowance for regulation that Weres and full animal morphs enjoy. Almost as if this is, pardon the term, a witch hunt, with Ms. Granger's case being a test for regulations that may even allow you to submit them for the other cases..."  
"Horrid beasts, Weres. They should be put to death," Umbridge stated, McGonagall, and surprisingly Snape, both going pale at Umbridge's frank statement. She would go after transformations like this, then werewolves, both cases where there was little chance to avoid it, and declare them nothing but animals, with regulations made in that sense, instead of treating them as humans first. Her test laws were effectively set up to declare the magical world for humans, ruled by humans. This was xenophobia at a ridiculous level, Flitwick fuming.  
What was to stop her declaring _him_ a creature?! Of making it even more obtuse for goblins to get anything done within the Ministry, as people like her made the laws to benefit full humans, and to exclude and control anything else...  
"Anyway, If you try to do anything under Subsection 6 or that big lump in Section 10, I will be forced to bring them under my protection in Japan, where _your_ laws do not matter," She declared, "I got on well with the father of the girl I will be dosing today, almost married him, but he was still mourning loss of her mother... How is he now?"  
"Might be more accepting of your offer… He needs someone to get him away from the presses, and into a nice expedition again," Luna offered, while looking at the catalogue, before she pointed to one of the pictures, for her to take a small cup of the potion Hermione had made, opening a slim packet, removing a single hair from it, before Luna drank the potion, Hermione soothing Luna as the change happened.  
"Good job that's there. Import regulations on the potion, even if you label it as polyjuice, part of Section 10. Going back to the situation of the Law, the previous law classified transfigurations such as this in the same classification as the Animagus transformation, since the original version occurred due to mistakes in that branch of magic, but the new law removed that allowance to be regulated by that department, instead putting them under your purview..." The woman continued, "Odd that, Lady Toad, almost like you want to make sure it's you who casts the spell that terminates them?"  
"How do you half-transform into an animal?" Umbridge snapped, "You are either human or an animal, end of story. The new laws make that pretty clear,"  
McGonagall bristled. She could see what Umbridge might try next. She was proud to be registered, but now… She was worried this… this toad would use that to abuse her power, and have some way to ensure all animagi were shown to be so, that would exclude even _them_ from her wizarding utopia.  
"Oh good, My particular forte. We have fox hairs, popular with some priestesses, mouse hairs and cat hairs, among others, in resealable packets in my bag, several different kinds, normally also carry several flasks of this particular variant of Polyjuice, but they got confiscated by customs, likely sent the same way as illegal alcohol..." The woman declared, her face twisting in annoyance, "Kemono, as we classify the… former category of Halfway Transformed Animagi, are required to wear clothing to hide their features outside of approved areas. We even have some No Maj..."  
"Muggle." McGonagall supplied to an increasingly angry Umbridge, as this woman flaunted the laws she'd made just for this day. She was planning on making any form of 'half transformation' require some very strict regulations over the coming months, just to make sure they didn't do it.  
"...Ahem, No Maj Kemono, and a support group for the children of Kemono, who, more often than not, show some features of the Kemono, as well as recent Kemono," The woman finished, "However, Your laws require they are taken out and paraded like animals and given no rights at all, before being sold as pets and slaves! I was planning to have the same laws as Japan appended to the British Animagi laws, but was told as I arrived that the motion had been denied..."  
"Yes, I am thankful it was! They will have rights as their owner gives them, and it is not for me to choose if they use them in such ways," Umbridge stated, Luna able to tell the lie, "And they were blocked due to having portions which overstepped boundaries set by the Statute Of Secrecy, due to there being no way we can see within the muggle community for someone to just hide that they're half animal!"  
Everyone else was livid. Ina here was preaching inclusion and soft-touch controls which worked outside of England very well, but Umbridge was going in, both barrels, to declare that they were animals, pure and simple, with only the rights of   
"Clearly she's never heard of the furry craze..." Hermione offered, the woman nodding, before using a hip flask with a fox hair herself, turning into a foxgirl.  
animals.  
"Within the Kemono community I am known as Lady Inari. This version has a special formulation, which allows it to be reversed, which I keep on my person and have legal rights to carry without inspection," The woman stated, "I attend conventions within Japan in this form, and I do talks about my work studying both Kemono and Animagi to wizards, and how they may give us new ideas on the handling of Weres, and I appear as normal to do talks on the realities of a Kemono partner to no-maj, as well as fitting in with normal society for non-magical Kemono..."  
"We still need to deal with them!" Umbridge snapped, glaring as the woman rotated her hip flask, taking another swig, for her change to drop away as fast as it happened, making it very clear that 'Lady Inari' was a perfectly legal sideline. She could 'half transform' as much as she wanted.  
"Now, I will offer concession… They may finish their education, in a… what is that term… Ah yes, a fast-track program, and they may choose their owner," The woman stated, "However, Anything else… I cannot overstep my boundaries, but if you attempt anything different to what I state here, I will be back to assist them. You will not hamper these girl's futures just because they made a choice at least a girl a day does in Japan, and they will no longer be under your purview..."  
"I will accept that concession. They will be required to hide their appearance, and, once they have completed their OWLs and NEWTs, I will consider that the incident happened after they finished schooling," Umbridge almost spat, "If your new owner is comfortable with this woman's policies, overly kind as they are, I will allow it. If your new owner is wise, however, you will be treated like the animals you are..."  
Luna then realized what was happening, as she looked at her now white-furred body, as she was pulled close to Hermione and cuddled. It wasn't going to end. She'd planned to help Hermione…  
But now, that same aid had guaranteed that she would not be losing that lifeline, that one good thing that she'd gained. And, from how Hermione was looking thoughtful, and accepting a translated pamphlet from her friend, before leaving the infirmary, with a conjured cloak and gloves, she had a feeling their new owner wasn't someone Umbridge would choose...

Harry and Ron looked up as a cloaked and hooded figure entered the common room, motioning to a quiet corner.  
"Hermione?" Harry asked, for her to nod, and hand him the pamphlet, pointing to a paragraph.  
"A 'furry', also known in Japan as a Kemono Boy or Kemono Girl, or by the term 'Half Transformed Animagus' within the ICW, is required by ICW regulations to wear gloves and a hooded garment, capable of hiding their ears and tail, except within places where others are gathering. Commonly, a small paw print will be placed on signage at the boundaries of these areas," Harry quietly read out, "Another common clue is when every single person attending a club who is wearing a hooded outfit and gloves is allowed in,"  
"So, What's this about?" Ron asked.  
"They couldn't currre my transforrrmation." Hermione practically purred, "I helped Luna by making her into a furrrry, which means the prrroblems she had with Hogwarrrts are overrrr…"  
"So, what's the problem then?" Harry asked, Hermione taking a breath, her words slightly less purred.  
"We will need to finish my education this year," Hermione stated, looking pointedly at them as she continued, "After that, I find myself and Luna an owner, who would be willing to accept the kind of things a furry is able to do. Unlike most forms of magic, outside of practical camouflage, It is not covered by the Statute of Secrecy, and I am no longer 'underage' where casting magic is concerned, since strictly I shouldn't be doing it in the first place. Now, I hope you can be sensible and figure out what I need from you..."  
She then left. She had a newly minted catgirl to comfort. And that she was a great relaxation tool for her was nothing to do with it.

Luna looked up from her own copy of one of the woman's pamphlets, this one not being translated.  
"Why did you do this for me?" She asked, pointing to a potion, "Gargle that at the start of every day, it'll stop you purring the letter r when speaking naturally."  
Hermione took a dose of the potion, gargling it before spitting it into the bedpan.  
"I was bullied when I was in muggle schooling..." Hermione sighed, "I was too smart for my own good. Things got stolen, homework was ruined and generally a small group of students made my life hell, and they had connections that made them untouchable..."  
She sat down on the bed that they shared, taking a breath and calming herself.  
"I was like you were when I came in that day. Crying my eyes out, ready to quit school. My parents came in, discussed what was going on, heard what had been said about me by the girls, with them claiming I'd done some nasty things..." Hermione continued, "They met with the girls, asked them a few questions, and oddly, the bullying stopped… briefly. A few weeks later, the teachers managed to figure out they'd effectively lied on oath,"  
"For me, it was likely beginning to be cured when I spelled my trunk to alert me and Flitwick as to when someone opened it without tapping the lock with their wand, a very simple check, I hadn't even added to check wand signatures..." Luna stated, "But they just took the entire trunk… and then tried to cause me to seemingly commit suicide on the stairs..."  
"Oh, definitely worse than me. Anyway, I didn't see your father coming in with Flitwick, so I guessed no-one was coming for you, which meant you likely wouldn't get that lucky break..." Hermione stated, "You completely forgot your own problems when you called upon that expert… Who, surprisingly, not just an expert on magical zoology, but also a kemono saleswoman. I read up on her and noticed she published some work with your father. It was a slow day in the library, and the book was one of the few I'd not read..."  
"I didn't know she was the latter..." Luna admitted, "Also, As she said, her and my father… got on very well. I'm bilingual due to the fact they did. And you are right about the bullying. I only realised now that I was letting the bullying get me down again, letting them win..."  
"I doubt any of those girls will end up our owners… I already have put things in motion to, hopefully, get us a Kemono Girl's lifestyle..." Hermione offered, "Both of us, together..."  
"In that case, Merry Christmas, Hermione..." Luna stated, beaming. She now had a feeling she could say that without irony. And that was the best gift she'd ever got. To be loved again. And she had a feeling Ina would be giving her father a very good Christmas present as well...


	3. Fox vs Toad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I will admit that Ina just… happened, since I needed an expert in magizoology who could act as a foil to Umbridge, instead of purely having Hermione and Luna deal with the xenophobic ministry official on their own. The idea that she was Xeno's rebound love interest… Damn muse.  
Of course, there will be repercussions. Umbridge hasn't quite lost yet…  
But she said the wrong things in front of the right people. And that means she won't win as much as she thinks...

It wasn't more than a day later that Umbridge made her next attempt at bending or flat out ignoring the ICW laws on the subject of Hermione and Luna's situation. A notice appeared on the school notice board, before being ripped off and shredded with prejudice. The fact the scratches left a lasting scar in the notice board not being mentioned.  
A new Educational Decree was handed down from the Ministry, forbidding anything from meddling with the notice board, and the noticeboard was replaced and given a pane of glass, ostensibly to ensure no further acts of vandalism, just before the notice was put back up the following morning.  
"_As part of a pilot scheme of new policies concerning some types of accidental transformation, the Ministry will be taking applications for ownership of the former students known, at this time, as Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood,_" The notice read, "_This system will allow for their ownership to be properly processed by Ministry Of Magic employees, meaning any issues with regulating them in the future will be solved..._"  
The language of the notice, plus the fact that an Educational Decree was used to stop it being torn back down, told them exactly who had put it up.

"OK, rather than shredding it again, and proving how sharp your claws are, let's try actually go over what's wrong with it. OK, Hermione?" Luna offered, for Hermione to sheepishly nod, "First things first, the talk of 'future regulations'. I'm sure Umbridge has, through Fudge or Dumbledore, got something planned to push through the ICW to remove the safe haven of how kemono are designated... The fact that the true laws got blocked tells me that,"  
"And your… friend specifically said that we were to choose our owner ourselves, not basically given a heavily over screened shortlist of Purebloods and other bigots who tow the party line. Let's look at this travesty of an application form…" Hermione stated, before sighing, "Just looking at the cover page, this has Umbridge's fingerprints all over it. Probably every scrap of paperwork is from her own poison pen… Mail Ina later,"  
Luna nodded as she sat down in order to read out the cover page.  
"_A wizard or witch requesting ownership should be able to provide proof of magical upbringing of three or more generations, that their home is magically warded and obtain signed approval for ownership from their guardian. They will be given a shortlist at the end of the vetting procedure_," Hermione read, before swearing, "OK, Straight away, She's basically bending the rules as far as she can. Without saying it, She's giving preference to purebloods, who would have no trouble with treating us like house elves, while also giving them a much higher chance of passing the vetting process..."  
"Proof of magical upbringing… That's pretty much cut out any No Maj… You might have heard it during Ina's visit. It's a alternative term, less derogatory than 'muggle', used outside Europe," Luna half-mused, "But leaving that, Any No Maj raised student from raising you, and practically has her able to get a list of people who aren't as part of the vetting procedure… The general requirements restrict it to the kinds of people who wouldn't exactly live much in the non-magical world,"  
"Which means half-bloods might get a chance, but anyone who has a clue about the furry subculture… Hell no..." Hermione added, "We need to take this to McGonagall..."

When McGonagall did look at the form, she frowned, before looking at it with more detail, before getting a different sheaf of parchment, before studying both of them sheet-by-sheet, her frown deepening.  
"Let's see… Identical… Identical… I think Question 10 is replaced… No wait, it's just very well reworded to sound like it applies to you..." She muttered, continuing for nearly an hour, before declaring, as she tossed floo powder at her conferencing floo, "Dolores Umbridge!"  
"What seems to be the problem, Deputy Headmistress?" Umbridge asked as her head appeared in the flames, "I was about to handle the first few applicants for the opening requests to take stewardship over the… girls..."  
"I had not been told that it would be application-based to this level… I expected that the girls would be contacted with a list of people with minor vetting for their safety, not waiting six to eight months for you to process the applications," McGonagall began, "Also, School policy requires any applications be vetted by a Head Of House or the Headmaster… Not dispatched straight to your office and cutting the School out completely! The amount of the vetting process which is screened, controlled and observed only by you is highly irregular, and a conflict of interest,"  
"This is outside of school business, and the penultimate stage, before they can choose their owners, as agreed, would be fully vetted by the Head Of House of the hopeful applicants..." Umbridge tried, for McGonagall to scowl. Literally, Umbridge would have control over over a good half of the process, maybe even two-thirds, allowing her to influence it heavily, which was completely against the wishes of both the girls and the woman who had helped them. She could claim anything about the application phase, and they could do nothing about it. _Normally_.  
"I wish to add this, One of the most reprehensible acts you have done." McGongall snapped, waving the application, "I would _never_ have approved a form like this!"  
"What is wrong with the application? It was deemed sufficient at this early stage in drafting proper regulations..." Umbridge almost purred. Luna and Hermione didn't want to mention there were existing regulations which she wasn't using. But admittedly, Umbridge's 'draft regulations' were intended to tear up those existing regulations, fuelled by her rampant xenophobia.  
"Except for the requirement of signed approval from a wizarding parent or their magical guardian, several removed questions, as well as half a dozen which are reworded considerably, the form is functionally identical to the one I have here for the purchase and ownership of a house elf!" McGonagall snapped, "I'd understand if it was the form for regulation of ownership of a restricted or dangerous creature… But this is effectively asking if someone is buying a slave! They are still human beings!"  
"They have one?" Hermione asked. for McGonagall to point to a sheaf of forms on one of her shelves.  
"We have several copies in case of Hagrid doing something stupid involving Grade Four or Grade Five creatures. That's the only reason they're there outside of unapproved pets," McGonagall stated, "His most recent was your first year, when he filled out the form over the fact he was raising a dragon, just to cover the School in case of legal issues…"  
"Hem Hem!" Umbridge stated, "The process and policies are largely experimental in the UK Ministry, and it was decided by the committee handling the policy changes that the form in question is an acceptable stopgap measure… The form in question was not considered suitable in any way,"  
"The committee of one," Luna stated quietly, McGonagall worried she was all too right. This hadn't been screened by anyone, just rushed through with minimal viewing by the Minister if that.  
"Policy changes that happened overnight and without consultation of the affected… Another Closed Wizengamot Session?" McGonagall stated, showing her own cat somewhat, "Who is the head of the committee?"  
"I am, since the Japanese Ministry was unable to get me into contact with Ms. Lovegood's… friend at such short notice..." Umbridge continued. Hermione sighed. The lies were coming thick and fast. Luna had contacted her friend and she'd been in England less than 24 hours after the letter, and, from what she'd heard, she'd still not left until that morning. Looking over the form, it was designed to ensure whoever owned them would work to the Pureblood Agenda, _not_ to care for them as they wanted. Even before the fact it was a House Elf Registration Form.  
"May I have a look at the restricted animal form?" Luna asked, looking through it with Hermione. who had got out her copy of the Kemono pamphlet.  
"That question wouldn't be needed, Maybe reword that one..." Hermione muttered, showing McGonagall what she meant, until they'd worked out a more than satisfactory form which was superior to Umbridge's.  
"I wish to state that you are wholly incorrect about the ownership regulation form. After, shockingly, consulting with the affected, A more than acceptable form was worked out, and actually covers both the Ministry and the future Owner much better than the lopsided current form you are using, that has no concession for the affected at all, with much less changes in order to fit the requirements," McGonagall stated, "We will be working on an adjusted form, which will be sent to the Ministry for approval before replacing the current applications, for now however… Accio Application Forms!"  
"You will be hearing from the Ministry over this!" Umbridge snapped, as McGonagall closed the connection.  
"That woman… As you were worried about, a large number of these applicants would not be approved, due to problems with bullying or having abusive behaviour claims in their student file..." McGonagall stated, as she glanced through the 'bad' forms, "She was halfway through interim approval of Draco Malfoy, for example, who had, according to what she'd put down, 'Satisfactory allowance for housing and care, prior knowledge of at least one of them, a highly respected family'..."  
"Plus is a bigoted and small minded monster who would stuff us in a cage, treating us not much better than a house elf, which is why his application wasn't difficult to do," Hermione hissed.  
"And we'd likely only have heard about it when Umbridge came to drag us off to our new home..." Luna offered, sighing, "Are a certain group of probationary students on the list?"  
McGonagall looked through the thick stack, nodding. "And were approved by Umbridge as well," McGonagall sighed, "Similar reasons to Draco. She's ignoring abusive behaviour issues up and down the line, maybe even approving them _faster_ if they show signs of it..."  
"And the non-approved?" Hermione asked, "Let me guess, The Weasleys and Harry, who would be at the top of _our_ lists..."  
"Non-approved applications do indeed include the Weasleys, due to, and I quote, 'being within walking distance of a known muggle environment', which would be not among reasons to deny according to the ICW regulations, not that Umbridge touched them, instead using her own self-penned ones which require you to have no contact with them," McGonagall stated, "And Harry Potter due to the fact he failed to provide two of the required proofs, which I personally feel are abnormally specific. Well, for one, he refused to fill in his address, citing that it is currently, quite rightly, forbidden from being revealed except by order of the Wizengamot, via Dumbledore,"  
"Ah, the proofs. All things easy for a Pureblood, but next to impossible for Muggleborns, and the walking distance requirement, while not part of the required proofs, is contrary to the kemono laws, which require the exact opposite, is very much intended to ensure that we're kept 'secure' and don't get that freedom that is a key part of the lifestyle Lady Inari wanted for us… Instead, we're kept isolated as much as possible," Luna sighed, "We'd never see anyone except purebloods and halfbloods, who don't know of the Kemono lifestyle..."  
"Yes..." McGonagall stated, "I think it's partially since the regulations she quoted from during your time in the hospital were, ahem, ordered to be removed by the Japanese Ministry Of Magic immediately, otherwise they would, and I quote, 'have you adopted into a new family by the end of the week'… They also managed to push for adoption of the ICW standard Kemono regulations by the end of the current regulatory period, with modifications only allowed after they are sworn into law, after Fudge tried to push for the opposite,"  
She then paused, before adding, "By the way, Luna, your father was away in Japan handling some family business, and thanks you for reminding him about her. Both of them came right back as soon as they got your message, and are poised to adopt both of you if Umbridge continues her single-minded crusade..."  
They both nodded, knowing what was not being said too loudly. Xeno and Ina Lovegood would happily adopt Hermione, and take Luna with them, if Umbridge was to push her agenda to make sure that their owners were from a very narrow and restricted band, pulling them literally out of the regulatory system before Umbridge could use them as a case study for her new xenophobic heavy-handed laws.

An hour later, Ina arrived at the Ministry's visitor's entrance, looking over her copy of the article about the UK Ministry attempting to appeal the kemono regulations, only to get shot down for attempting to push their backwards and socially isolationist agenda on everyone. She would have preferred to spend a bit longer with Xeno, but he was busy at a kitsune colony, discussing the differences between them and regular foxes.  
"Ina Lovegood! Skinning a toad!" She snapped before coming down, smiling when she noticed Umbridge walking over, likely having noticed her arrival.  
"Why hello..." Umbridge began, looking anything but happy to see the short oriental woman again so soon. She'd planned to get this set up while the damn woman was away on her honeymoon. Oh, she knew Xeno Lovegood was out of the country due to realising the woman he had met once was still interested, and had hoped they'd be away for weeks. Not back within hours.  
"My daughter-in-law… Recent marriage, done in Japan, came to file the paperwork while I was dealing with other things..." She snapped, "I then find you try to pull fast one! Bad toad! Regulations are there for reason! To stop bad toads doing bad things… Not for them to figure out how to make their own!"  
"I do not know what you mean, Lady Fox..." Umbridge retorted, for Ina to smirk slightly. It was close enough to her name, and considering how she referred to her...  
"I believe you have committee, very small, one person, far too much work for one person..." Ina stated, "Two would be able to get it dealt with much faster..."  
"Well..." Umbridge began, for that evil evil part-time fox woman to walk right past her.  
"Minerva McGonagall!" Ina snapped when she got into Umbridge's office, grabbing the sheath of papers she was offered from the floo, and skimming through them, "Right, first things first… The proofs are to be made optional, but we will consider applications on the quality of what proofs are given. Addresses non-mandatory! Also, New form is approved, you get printed now, Yes?"  
Umbridge then blinked as she conjured a map, sticking it up on the wall, then read one of the application forms, checking something in a booklet.  
"Denied! No active Kemono community within 10 miles of their home! They'd be isolated for certain!" She snapped, a pin shooting towards the map, "Weasleys… Preliminary acceptance. Ottery St Catchpole has a club and a small community..."  
"They are still muggles!" Umbridge snapped, "The Statute says..."  
"_Wrong! _ICW regulations regulate Kemono as non-magical creatures when it concerns catchment area!" Ina snapped, "Statute only cover magical creatures! Statute also completely useless in Minato Ward. Too many magical creatures… Admittedly, New magical line seem to pop up every other week as well there. Not sure why."  
Over the following hours, Umbridge wanted Ina out of her office urgently, but unless she dissolved the committee, and declared the 'pilot program' a failure, she would have her second-guessing everything about those two catgirls, and likely hounding her over anyone else. Some of the people she'd hoped to pass through had got through her modified clauses, but she'd changed completely the muggle area requirement to that there was an active known community of beasts like them close enough for interaction if the option was given.  
"Harry Potter… Ooh, Very good, Underground, but active community within a few miles of his house, proofs aren't perfect, has to use magical guardian, but his house is warded..." She heard her mutter as she looked at a piece of paper written by clearly Dumbledore, "Approved, and no, You not get address. Had to request from guardian, you not approved to have. You associate with people not on approved list, both for their care and information!"  
Oh yes, and she approved the really bad ones, according to her sponsors, as well. That too. She couldn't forget that.

Harry looked at the letter he'd got from the Ministry, after having to send a replacement form due to the fact they'd had to reprint all of them, for Hermione to look up as he read it out.  
"_Mr. Potter,  
__You have passed, due to completion of 75% of the requirements of the application process, preliminary approval for the potential ownership of H. Granger and L. Lovegood. There were questions raised by the committee over your magical upbringing, due to being a half-blood, but your magical ancestry was confirmed back to minimum levels on your father's side.  
__Also, Headmaster Dumbledore independently confirmed your house does have a warding system in place, and there is a community who would be able to handle the unique requirements of the girls within 10 miles of your home. However, we will note that your home is within a heavily muggle neighbourhood, which does affect your approval into the later stages.  
__Lady I. Lovegood and D. J. Umbridge,_" The letter read.  
"I can smell Ina's influence over the new proof..." Luna offered from Hermione's lap, "Kemono community within an acceptable distance of the house, in case we need to interact with people who have similar interests… instead of a muggle community being further than a certain distance, which is what Umbridge pushed for, completely reversing that part of the process,"  
"Umbridge still got to keep the proofs, but Ina made it part of the vetting process whether or not they exist..." Hermione stated, looking up as McGonagall entered.  
"Apparently, some of the bullies from Ravenclaw are celebrating slightly, because they got a four-proof pass…" McGonagall stated, "Ina apologizes for this, having not been aware they were near to one of the enclaves, and notes that the fourth proof is no longer required for passing into vetting outside of their currently shared office. Also, if you ever need to buy a house elf, from what you put into your original application, you would be under heavy consideration, since you filled the form in more than satisfactorily,"  
Hermione then frowned, Luna looking puzzled, both holding up paws to try to sense something, as Harry heard a voice.  
"I want to kill, to rip, to tear..." The voice said, Harry looking towards the catgirls. They'd heard something as well.  
"So, What did you hear?" Harry asked Hermione later, as he worked on the next stage of the application, an essay giving why he would be suitable as an owner for either of the two girls. Luna was busy helping Ginny with her essay, both of them having despaired about the quality of Ron's essay, suggesting he let Ginny apply on her own. They'd still win if the application was accepted.  
"A hissing sound. Seemed to come from the walls..." Hermione offered.  
"I heard some kind of voice..." Harry stated, "Sounded awful… Was talking like a murderer..."  
"Leave it with me. We have bigger problems with Umbridge. But think about this. I didn't hear a voice myself… Was there any other time you should have heard hissing, but heard speech?" Hermione stated, Harry going back to his essay, but Hermione noticed a scrawled note in the margin of his essay, quickly erased, mentioning a snake and the zoo. He'd figured it out, now what to do with the information...

A few days later, Hermione and Luna had new collars on, gifted by Ina, the notice had been taken down, with the application process being declared to have been completed, and a list of names was put up, both Harry and Ginny having passed into the localized vetting process.  
"Why was I not approved!" Draco Malfoy stated, for Luna to step up next to him.  
"On a key proof, namely the proximity of a safe haven community within easy reach, Malfoy Manor failed to provide, plus your ancestry is not acknowledged by the British Ministry beyond one or two generations..." Luna stated, "They were happy to mention you passed the other two proofs very well… Also, while your first form was more than acceptable, the reissued form was considered unacceptable, due to concerns about mistreatment,"  
"So, Decided to show yourself, kitty..." One of her tormentors stated, "I've always wanted to have you where you'd not be able to… Huh? Wake up!"  
Her friend was collapsed on the floor next to her, the girl herself dropping a moment later, as Hermione walked up from behind them.  
"Luna, stop playing with the idiots..." Hermione declared, and then tapped her bell, to vanish, Luna vanishing a moment later. A notice then appeared on the notice board.  
"Ms. Granger and Ms. Lovegood are not to be accused of using apparition without a license or in ignorance of the situation involving apparition within Hogwarts. The staff know what they're doing, and it's not apparition." The notice read. No-one noticed McGonagall give them a boxing round the ears an hour later for the minor paradox.

At an assembly shortly after that, Dumbledore had an announcement to make.  
"We have the following announcement. Professor Grubbly-Plank has retired from Care of Magical Creatures, due to health concerns, and has been replaced by Ina Lovegood," Dumbledore announced, many of them noticing the short woman glare across the staff table at Umbridge, "This will be supplemented by Rubeus Hagrid taking over Care Of Magical Creatures for upper year students,"  
"This because students in advanced class will need to know about things he studies. First years not need to know what will kill them tomorrow. Mainly since it should not be the case that they'll die tomorrow due to an accident in my class!" Ina stated.  
"More simply, Hagrid gets to do something he loves, dealing with magical creatures and teaching about them, while keeping the more dangerous creatures to people who'd respect them..." Hermione mused, "Also, Umbridge might try to have Hogwarts staff solely be involved in the next phase, which Ina just blocked,"

They heard later that they were right, Ina having intercepted the memo, sent it on it's way and called McGonagall about if there was a teacher retiring any time soon. Dumbledore reached a good concession with her, and Umbridge lost her last chance to cut out every middle man possible in steamrolling through her idea on how a kemono would live in the British Isles.


	4. A Fox In The Chicken Coop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Umbridge is being the quintessential bureaucrat. If Ina finds a clause that means she can go ahead with her forward-thinking ideals, which would help the 'wretched animals' she sees Hermione and Luna as, she'll block it. Ina meanwhile is aware that she's being stymied by Umbridge, who sees Hermione and Luna a way to push regulations ahead that she was planning probably for years.  
This chapter will clear up some of those aspects. I'm not totally happy with this chapter, but I don't want to spend any longer in Chamber than I need to. The real fun begins _next_ year.

Umbridge didn't look happy after the assembly, especially when Ina didn't turn the Care Of Magical Creatures into an advert for her 'services', instead asking for information on what they'd learned under Grubbly-Plank, before summoning individual cases where they could study the animals in detail. It was well beyond what the Ministry considered acceptable, especially when she gave a student a light stinging hex for attempting to touch the animals before Ina had talked them through the care portion of the lesson.  
"You not qualified to decide if you can open case!" Ina had snapped, "Even in muggle world, cute and cuddly does not mean safe! They bite, I not responsible!"

However, Harry, Hermione and Luna found themselves summoned to her office after classes were over, Ina looking over some paperwork.  
"Ah, Mr. Potter. One of the best applicants I've read up on, but I haven't summoned you for this. I believe you had an incident in a zoo before you arrived at Hogwarts?" Ina stated, Harry looking confused, "You'd be surprised at how often things like that happen, and how much it's documented. The British Ministry certainly seem to be... But they also misplaced my documents. Several times."  
"So, what does that have to do with the present?" Harry asked, for her to take out a record player, and put a record on it.  
"This is a recording I did at an animal sanctuary. Please tell me anything you hear that sounds like words..." She stated, before starting the recording, surprisingly clear despite the antiquated look of the playback device.  
"OK, Let's see…" Harry said, listening keenly to the animal noises, "Huh… I just heard someone..."  
Ina smirked, before moving the record head back. "Yes, there it is, a voice, grumbling… 'These mice are terrible. Did they starve them? I've not had something like a nice fat gerbil in months'… What's that all about?" Harry asked, Hermione and Ina sharing a look. He'd clearly heard something other than the recording. Also, Hermione wouldn't mind a record player that free of noise.  
"I have a floo call to make, if you don't mind. You go relax. I'll be busy for the rest of the evening..." Ina declared, shooing them out.

The next time they met with Ina, it was that weekend, as Hermione and Luna entered a former classroom, to see both Ina and Umbridge sat with sheets of parchment in front of them, just before Cho Chang entered.  
"Please take a drink of water," Ina stated, Cho Chang accepting the glass of water in front of her, her eyes turning slightly unfocused, "Question 1. What interactions have you had with the kemono, or furry, community within your neighbourhood?"  
"I belittle and insult them for being such perversions of humanity," Cho stated. Umbridge's eyebrows raising. She had a vague idea of this from her original application.  
"Veritaserum in the water, People always take a drink when offered during interviews, force of habit," Ina cackled, "Question 2. What are your reasons for applying for ownership of Hermione and/or Luna Lovegood?"  
"I am part of a group who stole Luna's things, as well as causing damage to her homework, in an attempt to get her to leave the school," Cho stated, "I don't actually care about either of them, we all had to work hard to figure out how to get past the new form. Thankfully, the application process was long enough for us to figure it out,"  
"Ravenclaws, always think they're smarter than you..." Luna quipped, holding up her hand to quiet Ina and Umbridge, who were both furious, for different reasons, "Question 3. What would you do with Hermione once you'd taken ownership of me?"  
"Probably sold her to someone like Draco. He wanted her to replace a particularly bad house elf he's got..." Cho stated, "Stupid elf is advising Harry Potter to get out of here due to some plan his father had..."  
A different glass of water was given to Cho, who looked furious, Hermione scrawling something on a sheet of paper she had. Luna had inadvertently answered that last question she had in order to solve this entire convoluted mess.  
"You may leave and be thankful we not press charges!" Ina snapped, "But we give you one chance. List co-conspirators. Admit mistake. Or this go straight to Flitwick, and he may not be so forthcoming..."  
Cho Chang swallowed. She was caught, by the same way a criminal was. She'd admitted her own guilt. Umbridge was muttering about how they'd not even given her basic human rights _before_ she became an animal, and Ina was just plain furious. No wonder Luna accepted the transformation so easily. She didn't _want_ to be a witch if this was how they acted.

A short time later, several names disappeared off the list, due to, according to another form, 'Fraud attempts against the committee'. Hermione however now knew why Draco was aware of the Chamber situation. And she now had another part of the solution to what was really going on with the Chamber.  
Ina had confirmed what she'd heard earlier, since Ina had independently verified the hissing was also what Harry had heard as words, as well as _what_ the hissing had been. A snake of some kind. What she didn't know was who opened the chamber, or where it was. She needed to find that house elf, and see what she could learn from it.

When Harry stepped into the interview room, the presence of Ina made Umbridge's presence not quite as bad. He could tell Umbridge was here purely to monitor the process, and make sure it was not in the slightest honest and complimentary to Hermione or Luna.  
"Please take a drink of water," Ina stated, an odd feeling coming over him, "Question 1. What interactions have you had with the kemono, or furry, community within your neighbourhood?"  
"I haven't personally. I think that one of the families that Dudley was bullying the kids of might have been part of it, due to the nicknames he was using..." Harry stated, surprised he could recall it so clearly.  
"OK, Question 2. What are your reasons for applying for ownership of Hermione and/or Luna Lovegood?" Ina continued.  
"I care about Hermione, and have come to care about Luna in a similar way. Plus I have a bad habit of helping people to the point where I get people nearly killed..." Harry continued.  
"Question 3. Are you willing to meet with Hermione's parents to help organize a formal adoption by your foster family if the situation comes up?"  
"Yes, Although, I personally would not wish for them to meet them..." Harry stated, Ina smiling. She'd had a fox move into Petunia's garden, and knew exactly why. Well, she'd had, until Vernon almost shot the fox.  
"Question 4. Would you be willing to accept any repercussions from if someone was to see them as magically enchanted?" Ina continued.  
"I doubt it would come up, but definitely..." Harry continued. He was doing very well.  
"Question 5. Would you be willing to use a glamour or other temporary shape-shift to attend a Kemono-only event if Hermione and/or Luna were invited?" Ina offered, Umbridge silently scowling.  
"As long as it's not polyjuice-based, no problem, no problem at all..." Harry replied. He was short-listed, He was so short-listed. Once he was out of the interview, Ina met him in another classroom, Hermione following her.  
"I think you remember that meeting we had. I notified Dumbledore that a large snake of some kind... Probably a basilisk considering the effects..." Ina stated, trailing off, "Ahem, A large snake of some kind is travelling through the walls. Considering the Chamber Of Secrets is associated with Slytherin, it should have been obvious years ago. I have a meeting with Minister Fudge and the DMLE about my colleague being given a cursory compensation, while his current punishment being revised to raising a Class 5 restricted creature within school property. Hagrid also is doing a class on basilisks,"  
"And the interview?" Harry asked.  
"You're definitely in the final set, although the toad is angry I keep dosing the applicants with Veritaserum," Ina cackled, "They can't help but admit every little issue they have,"  
"Total honesty is rare within the wizarding world," Hermione observed, "But it's been relatively fine, outside of those Ravenclaws..."

However, When Ginny was admitted into the room for her interview, Ina's wand flashed out, and she locked down the room, and she took a swig of her flask, shifting as her eyes narrowed.  
"Come out, come out, evil spirit..." Ina growled, "I can smell you all over her..."  
Ina grabbed Ginny's bag, rooting through it, before opening a book she found to a random page, and putting a paper talisman of some kind in it as a bookmark, calming down and shifting back, Ginny blinking several times.  
"What the hell happened?!" Umbridge snapped.  
"Fox kemono INCREDIBLY sensitive to dark magic," Ina declared, "That's a ofuda, will render evil spirit temporarily powerless. Assignment, Ms. Granger. Find out all you can about… T. M. Riddle, Now, since drama over, Ms. Weasley, please take a drink of water..."  
"Thank you..." Ginny stated, her voice wavering slightly.  
"Question 1. What is your relationship to Luna Lovegood?" Ina asked.  
"I feel like she's the sister I never had. If I took ownership of her, I feel like that relationship would continue..." Ginny stated. Ina smiling. And, after a couple more questions, slapping another ofuda into the book. It was _really_ dark magic.

When Harry entered Hermione and Luna's temporary quarters, he noticed her looking at one of the school awards, Hogwarts: A History, and a diary that she'd stuffed several yellow strips of paper into the pages of. As he arrived, she looked towards Luna, who handed her another one off a stack, slipping it into one of the places there wasn't already one.  
"Sorry about that. OK, From the fact that Riddle's diary is so steeped in dark magic, we're running out of ofuda, we can definitely confirm he opened the Chamber originally," Hermione stated, "Send both back to Ina and Umbridge, and tell her that he seems to have implicated Hagrid in opening the Chamber, when he did it himself..."  
Luna headed out, Hermione sighing. "Ina solved everything about the Chamber Of Secrets, other than where it is. Lucius Malfoy planted a dark artifact on Ginny, not sure why. Ina's not going to bring that up when she uses the diary to help Hagrid. Likely the diary was controlling her..." Hermione stated, "If it hadn't had been for me mentioning that we heard hissing when you heard words that time..."  
Harry nodded. "So, I guess that's the problem with the snake solved..." He offered, Hermione nodding. Whatever happened, it was over.

At a surprise Wizengamot session a day later, Dumbledore was surprised when he found himself attending a court session, where there were a pair of Unspeakables, a third one sat with a diary in their lap in the place of the accused.  
"OK, Are you ready?" Amelia Bones stated from her seat as the presiding judge, "OK, First sentence. Tom Marvolo Riddle, you are accused of the murder of Myrtle Warren..."  
"Response… What the? Hagrid did it! I'm innocent!" The Unspeakable in the chair stated. Dumbledore blinked. They were effectively using the horcrux Lucius Malfoy undoubtedly smuggled into Hogwarts to prosecute Voldemort of the Chamber Of Secrets incident.

A few hours later, The Unspeakables stood in a circle around the diary. "Tom Marvolo Riddle, It is the judgement of this court that you are guilty of the murder of Myrtle Warren, and two counts of releasing a Class 5 restricted creature within Hogwarts, as well as the attempted possession of a student. The sentence is immediate death," Amelia stated, two of the Unspeakables creating shields, before the book was immolated by fiendfyre, "Rubeus Hagrid, We apologize for the miscarriage of justice by a previous administration. You will be allowed to continue in your current position, and will be independently tested if you wish to finish your education,"  
Dumbledore held his head in his hands. They'd avoided words such as 'horcrux', just stating that they'd located an enchanted item which could allow them to prosecute who they suspected had caused, and was currently causing again, the Chamber Of Secrets incident.

**CHAMBER OF SECRETS SOLVED!  
** **Cursed Diary Exonerates Original Suspect**

_An infamous incident in Hogwarts history, the Chamber Of Secrets attack, was today solved for good when, thanks to a cursed diary that the real culprit left behind, which allowed limited mental control of the reader, allowing them to return from beyond the grave. Due to this diary, the DMLE did the landmark ruling, where the diary had a complete enough copy of the culprit that they could be tried and prosecuted for both cases, and Rubeus Hagrid, currently the teacher for Advanced Care Of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts, could be found innocent.  
_ _The nature of what killed Myrtle Warren and the name of the real culprit has not been released, due to ongoing investigation. DMLE Head Amelia Bones, in an interview for the Daily Prophet, mentioned, "The Ministry was only required to prove the guilt or innocence of the shade within the diary, which was destroyed after the case was completed. An innocent man has been exonerated, and a cold case closed. I'll sleep better knowing that the cold-hearted bastard who did it got sentenced."_

"We wish to make an announcement. The Chamber Of Secrets has been, effectively, sealed for good. The way in which it was opened was nullified. No points will be granted or removed for this, but I will note this for the student body. Ginerva Weasley was coerced by the true culprit, a diary possessed by He Who Must Not Be Named, into doing the recent crimes. Harry James Potter helped solve the case, and it has been independently verified that he was nothing to do with the crime," Dumbledore stated.  
"He Who Must Not Be Named was the Heir Of Slytherin?!" One of the Slytherin students stated, Dumbledore nodding.  
"And he almost had two innocent people ostracised in his place. The diary was destroyed by the Unspeakables, in lieu of the death sentence that just his actions in opening the Chamber would have given him," Dumbledore stated, "If I ever find out _how_ the diary got into the school, Points _**will **_be taken,"

Surprisingly, A sullen looking Draco was sat in with Dumbledore, Snape, Harry and Ginny that evening.  
"I apologize for what my father did. I was not aware it was a diary belonging to He Who Must Not Be Named..." Draco stated, "I have accepted several concessions in exchange for not having my family's involvement revealed,"  
"We are not releasing anything about your father's involvement, as part of an agreement between myself, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape," Dumbledore explained, "As far as it will be told in Hogwarts A History, Voldemort murdered Myrtle Warren, attempting to pin it on Hagrid to disguise his start of darkness, and an item he personally enchanted was used to attempt to finish the job. For all anyone knows, it might have been left discarded in one of the classrooms..."  
Draco nodded. None of them wanted to mention that part of the reason nothing was openly being done was the current cold war between Umbridge and Ina. By pinning the entire blame on Voldemort, they could leave the truth for people who handled that kind of thing. When you had a pair of teachers at each other's necks so much, you needed to keep major things like that in the Wizengamot.

A few days later, during assembly, Umbridge stepped forward. Harry was surprised. He'd expected Ina or McGonagall, maybe even Dumbledore, to make what was likely a very important announcement.  
"I have an announcement. We have completed our judgements on the ownership of Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood. The shortlist for the students who will be screened for the ownership of Hermione Granger are as follows… Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Susan Bones, Lisa Turpin," Umbridge announced, "The shortlist for students who will be screened for the ownership of Luna Lovegood are as follows… Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Susan Bones, Lisa Turpin. That is all."  
Harry looked confused. That was a very short list. And Ina had told him he'd passed into, presumably, the short-list based on his interview.  
"I got an OK result in the interview. I thought I was no good for shortlisting though..." Neville stated, "Going to ask around for a bit, talk to you later… Something doesn't sound right..."

Harry was summoned to Ina's office later, where she was looking very annoyed and stuffing things into a carpet bag.  
"Toad have last laugh. None of those listed other than the Malfoy boy even close to being able to pass final stage..." She snapped, "She shorten list, due to issues with some of the proofs. Cut it down real short. One student per house!"  
"So, They're pretty much guaranteed to end up Draco's pets?" Harry asked, Hermione reading a book while looking stone-faced.  
"Both of them were doing the shortlist with me before they went to bed last night," Ina declared, "Draco wasn't on the list at the time, no-one from Slytherin was able to avoid making themselves look like monsters… Umbridge politely told me that she'd already finished the list for announcement when I got to her office,"  
"That's probably exactly why Draco got shortlisted but Harry, Ron, Ginny… Despite very good interviews, outside Ginny's little incident, not listed..." Hermione stated, "In fact, Other than being Voldemort's latest host, she was almost as good as you,"  
Neville arrived in Ina's office, looking annoyed as he looked towards Ina.  
"Susan Bones felt she'd fail due to her mother having long absences from the house, which would mean either of them would be left alone for long periods, Lisa Turpin was one of the people Cho Chang didn't squeal on..." Neville stated, "I sneaked a look in Umbridge's office. She has already drawn up acceptance letters for Draco to get Hermione, and Lisa Turpin to get Luna. She was talking with Lucius… Something about how Dumbledore saved him a big fine… I did a switching spell with some parchment she was about to have destroyed, and found this..."  
Ina looked. "It's the original screening list..." Ina declared, "We need to get this to Dumbledore and McGonagall urgently,"  
"If we don't, I suspect what Umbridge will do is declare we 'screened' the final applicants, and chose the worst choices imaginable..." Hermione offered, "I'll be honest. We don't really need to do the process anyway..."  
She whispered something to Ina, who handed Harry a letter. "If we can get her duplicity discovered, you'll be taking both girls home with you. A letter has been drafted saying that you are being fostered by the Dursleys, and that if they dare do anything, there will be hell to pay..."  
Harry nodded. He'd passed… but Umbridge wasn't having any of it. And now, he had to make sure of it...


End file.
